New Ulm weekly review., 1887-09-14
In a japanese Hotel.


A Yokohama, Japan, correspond
ent Of the Baltimore Sun thus de-
scribes a hostelrie in the land Of the
Mikado: We are in front or it, a long
two s5oried building, but are immedi-
atel, at a loss as to where the en-
tranceis is, for all thelow foor-front,
sides and rear-is open, there not
being single evidence OF either door
Or window anywhere. A number OF
rosy-cheeked, blue-eyed girls are smil-
ing and courtesying to US, and we make
bold to smile in return and to say
"Oheio," the usual Japanese saluta.
ton. They manage to direct us to
the rear of the building, where we find
a beautiful artificial garden, contain
ing flowers, neat walks, several trees
trimmed to grow into odd shapes,
and a miniature lake, but with every
thing on so small a scale that we
could have been excusable had we
mistaken it for a baby's play garden.
But so it is all through Japan, for no
Jap OF any pretension to wealth or
position is happy unless he can have
a garden at the back of his house.
We take in this charming view for
some time and then the young girls
nesans, they are called-invite us to
take off our shoes and walk into the
house. No one walks about q Jap
anese house with shoes on, for the
floors are covered with several thick
nesses Of fine mating laid down in
regular rectangles about six feet long
by three feet wide, and you cannot
imagine how soft and easy they are
to walk on. We take off our shoes
and are permitted to go all through
the house. The framework and floors
of this house are pine which has been
stained and polished. The two floors
are off from the outside and also d.
vided into numerous apartments by
wooden latticework screens, neatly
covered with white rice paper and
made to slidein groves in such a, man
ner as to thoroughly open the entire
house. With this arrangement,
windows and doors are rem
dered unnecessary. When all
& the screens are closed, to 90 from one
& room to another we simply slide one
4 of the intervening screens aside. If we
only want to look out OF doors we
slide back a little of the wall, but if
4 we want to 60 out we slide back an
entire screens. A very simple arrange
ment, we must admit but one that is
( not conducive to comfort in cold
4 weather.
A few kakemonas hang on the side
screens, but there is no other furni-
ture in these rooms. Weseat ourselves
in the part facing the garden, and by
means Of a pocket dictionary succeed
in ordering dinner, three neat-loQking
nesans having taken it upon them
selves to wait on u.s. They did not
hesitate to show us where our dinner
was being cooked, but we can not be-
gin to describe how neat and clean
we found every thing to be.
After a while they bring each
Of us a lacquer tray, on which
is q lacquer bowl containing hot
water, in which is mess of fish.
seaweed and shrimps, another bowl
containing sweet cakes and a dish Of
daikon-a large kind Of radish, which
sometimes attains a length Of several
feet, and OF which the Japs ere very
fond. Unfortunately, it smells very
much like rotten eggs, and we cannot
bring ourselves to eat it. With all
this each one of US is given a pair OF
chopsticks, and how the young nesans
do laugh over our awkward Efforts to
use them. Knives and forks are un-
known luxuries to these people. Sew
eral courses follow this one, consisting
OF eggs, fried fish, spinach, sweet 20.
tatoes and chickens boiled in hot wa
ter, and finally a large lacquer box OF
rice, from which we fill small lacquer
bowls to eat from. After this cup Of
tea-simply hot water poured into
tiny cups, in which were a few tea
leaves-and our dinner is a thing
Of the past. How the nesans did en-.
JOY our frantic stru ggles with our
chopsticks during each course, and
how pleasant and smiling they were
during our entire stay we find difficult
ty IN expressing.
Wnen not engaged in bringing the
various courses or in waiting upon US,
they remained seated On the mating
floor III the customary Japanese posi-
ton Of respect; that is, with the knees
and toes touching the floor and the
body resting on the heels-a rather
painful position for a foreigner, but
one which these people are habituat-
ed to keep for hours at a time-and
whenever they have occasion to ad-
dress us their remarks were always
preceded by a low graceful bow OF
courtesy.
We had a very fair sample OF typi-
cal Japanese meal, but hereafter we
will! not fail to carry bread or crack
ers or some canned beef with us on
our rambles.